Comic-Con: ‘Vikings’ will land with stars, free comic, boat races

July 02, 2013 | 6:00 a.m.

The cover art for the "Vikings" comic that will be handed out at its Comic-Con panel features pencils by Anthony Spay, cover inks by Ariela Kristantina, cover colors by Ivan Nunes. (Zenescope / History)

Katheryn Winnick, left, Travis Fimmel and Clive Standen -- in character as Lagertha, Ragnar and Rollo, respectively -- are scheduled to appear at the show's interactive waterway and panel on Friday, July 17, at Comic-Con International in San Diego. (Jonathan Hession / History)

Athelstan (George Blagden) is seen early in Season 1, before he's captured by Ragnar and put into the Viking's family's service. Blagden is scheduled to appear at the show's interactive waterway and panel on Friday, July 17, at Comic-Con International in San Diego. (Jonathan Hession / History)

Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) is a master ship-builder and worshiper of Loki. Skarsgard is scheduled to appear at the show's interactive waterway and panel on Friday, July 17, at Comic-Con International in San Diego. (Jonathan Hession / History)

Ragnar Lothbrok is leading a major “Vikings” raiding party to San Diego.

Comic-Con International attendees are in for better treatment than the monks of Lindisfarne, however: Costumed shieldmaidens will beckon them to board miniature Norse-styled ships, grab a paddle and race on the “Vikings” Interactive Waterway close to the convention center, and fans who turn up at the hit History show’s Friday night panel will receive a free comic book.

Hero Complex readers can take the first look at the comic’s cover, which shows the bold, bright Ragnar, his fierce, loving wife Lagertha, his envious, scheming brother Rollo and the all-father, Odin. (See a larger version of the cover here.)

The story is written by show creator Michael Hirst and features interior artwork by Dennis Calero (“X-Men Noir”). It’s set before the events of Season 1 and sees Ragnar and Rollo alongside their father in battle, along with the brothers’ first encounter with Lagertha.

If the show’s WonderCon panel in March was any indication, the “Vikings” Comic-Con hour could be a feisty one: Though his character worships Odin and Thor, star Travis Fimmel seemed more in league with Loki, mischievously joking about a risque scene involving his Ragnar, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and their captured monk Athelstan (George Blagden). Audience members intermittently roared “Ragnar!”

Fimmel, Winnick and Blagden are all scheduled to appear in San Diego and are set to be joined by Hirst, Clive Standen (Rollo), Gustaf Skarsgard (Floki), Jessalyn Gilsig (Siggy) and History executive Dirk Hoogstra.

The “Vikings” panel will take place on Friday, July 19, at 6 p.m. in the San Diego Convention Center’s Room 6A.

One thing to watch for: whether Skarsgard’s reactions are as eccentric as Floki’s.

The cast is also scheduled to appear at the “Vikings” Interactive Waterway from 11 a.m. to noon on the 19th. The attraction, which also has a photo area, runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Thursday, July 18, to Saturday, July 20. It will be located at 450 Second Ave.

“Vikings” was the second-most-watched cable program in the second quarter, with a viewership of 5.2 million per episode, according to Nielsen, our sister blog Company Town reported.

In her review, Times television critic Mary McNamara called the show “the tried and true story of an open-minded upstart challenging the corrupt establishment” and said that it is “a mostly noble attempt to humanize a group of people who have been reduced to the fact of their stature (tall) and their propensity for barbarism.”

If you want to be proper, "all-father" should be "All-Father." It's not just Odin's title, it's one of the other (many) names of the one-eyed god. :) That being said, this looks really cool and I'll definitely order it from my local shop!